Lowered my connect.

[Wobby]

When you heat spring steel, you take the carbon out of it, and it causes it to become super brittle, like glass.. with round bar spring steel, the carbon count is lower than for leaf springs. If you wanted to, you "could" weld it, ("could" because you never really want to reheat tempered steel at all.) let it cool, then get it red-hot with a torch and quench it WITH OIL, never quench spring steel with water.

Not ideal, making it brittle like glass and then making it flex! The springs are clamped to and are formed around bushes at the end for a reason. It's definately wrong to weld it.

[van mann]

For all those that are concerned about this modification,may i refer you to this months CLASSIC FORD where this design is shown on an escort where the set up is exactly the same and is advised as the best way to lower these rear axle set ups.

There,s a guy off here thats bought one of geoffs vans that is lowered the same way.Ask him if here,s had any problems.

I can,t see why anyone would want to lower there van if they carry a lot of weight on a regular basis.By welding a mounting plate to the underside of the axle but keeping the original top one,allows you to swap the positions over to safley allow you to carry heavy weight.
While i understand some people have concerns about being lowered and carring weight,i loaded mine up to the brim a few weeks ago to take to the tip after clearing a house.
The rear was too low and it hit the bump stops when driven over speed bumps.So my conclusion is if you carry alot of weight on a regular basis it would not be worth lowering it.Unless you wanted to swap the leaf springs from to bottom all the time.

[SteveO]

What is classed as "a lot of weight" then by everyone? How many kilo's?

[tom-moby]

On a flipped axel those U bolts are under a level of stress they were in no way designed to handle. Its inarguable. If I read correctly, appoligys if I didn't, one post seems to suggest that U-bolt failure would simply drop the van onto the bump-stops. Seems clear that the rear axel would break away rearwards from the spring, firstly at one side followed immediately by the other, jamming the wheels between road and chassis, at even moderate speed that would cause an uncontrolable skid, at motorway speed there isn't a doubt in my mind the van would skid and flip in millisconds.

Think about this, something akin to a pair of exhaust clamps (slight exageration) supporting the full van weight plus any load. I accept no one seems to have heard of a failure, but theres a first time for everything.

Seeing my lad tonight, he's a solicitor, I'll ask him how the liability might pan out if the worst happened. Worth knowing.

[GKandR4CH]

Vann Mann? I think for the time being I will keep the standard height.
I am going to see if I can have some Leaf springs made to accomodate the drop.
Quite worried by some of these posts.

[noisy old transit]

All this might be a "modification,- you have to tell the insurance, blah blah blah", BUT there is nothing wrong with mounting the axle above the leaf spring, in fact this was the norm for most cars fitted with leaf springs for many years. Check out MGB, MG Midget as two examples.
Providing you use adequate ubolts you will be fine from a safety point of view, BUT in today's nanny state you probably will have the do gooder health and safety brigade on your case, simply because you have decided to do something different from the way society wants it to be!
Engineering degrees may make you understand the principles better, but they shouldn't stop you experimenting- the manufacturers product is not perfect, and it never has been,- that's why we've moved on from the horse and cart, through the model T, the anglia, the escort, the focus and so on!!!!

[noisy old transit]

Think about this, something akin to a pair of exhaust clamps (slight exageration) supporting the full van weight plus any load. I accept no one seems to have heard of a failure, but theres a first time for everything.

I would guess the u bolts are around 10mm diameter??? have a look at an MGB axle chap; u bolts made from steel, prob less than 10mm diameter rod. Car manufacturers don't dream up special steels for absolutely every application, they draw on readily available materials and products, ensuring the specification of that material is suitable for it's task.
Don't be fooled by the rocket scientists; an 8.8 grade steel bolt is an 8.8 grade steel bolt, whether it's on you engine mount or holding your suspension legs on, and the same goes for any grade of steel bolt too! the strength and grade is usually cast in the bolt head, but for the ubolts you'll have to consult the manual, or whatever they are called nowadays!!

[noisy old transit]

AND, my last rant tonight!!! it's not about whether modifications are illegal or legal; the law doesn't come in to this too much, providing you haven't modded away the basic rules such as light position, number plates, emissions etc.
The discussion should be about whether what you have done is acceptable to your insurance company; and if it isn't then you should try another one!

[Mylee]

Was at my mates garage today and he was doing the rear shoes on a nissan van. Axle was located on top of the springs - STANDARD.

Wish I'd taken a picture now

Done properly, there is nothing to be scared or worried about.

[Wobby]

Was at my mates garage today and he was doing the rear shoes on a nissan van. Axle was located on top of the springs - STANDARD.

Wish I'd taken a picture now

Done properly, there is nothing to be scared or worried about.

I wish you had taken a picture. It only feels a problem to me because we are talking vans. The rear of a car will carry very little weight compared to a van with upto 900kg of extra thrown in the back.

I'm going to be looking under any vans i see from now on, i would be suprised if a van will have the load going into the U bolts. I am guessing its a different design. But i have been wrong plenty before

[noisy old transit]

oh, the nissan vanette too!! that's a van with the springs under the axle.

[noisy old transit]

I wish you had taken a picture. It only feels a problem to me because we are talking vans. The rear of a car will carry very little weight compared to a van with upto 900kg of extra thrown in the back.

:

slightly off at a tangent but the weight capacity off a galaxy is gretaer than that of a connect, check out the gvws and carrying capacities of some cars first before you generalize!

[tom-moby]

Drivers of vehicles where a failure of a standard component results in a RTA don't get prosecuted under the construction & use regs and risk unlimited liability for their insurers losses.

Even when theres no third party involvement, engineers check vehicles for the usual suspects, anything that reduces/relieves their liablilty.

All I'm saying is insurance companys don't work for the common good and the legal trade is carniverous. But each to their own, everyones old enough to make their own decisions.

[Mylee]

oh, the nissan vanette too!! that's a van with the springs under the axle.

That's what it was, Thanks!

[van mann]

Rear u bolts will be over engineered by FORD.If a load capacity is 1000kg they won't be designed to snap at 1100kg.More likley to be at around 2000kg or even more.These are 14mm high tensile steel u bolts not 3mm chocolate ones.The bolts at either end of the leaf spring into the body that take the spring weight are only 15mm.
Lets here from people that have actually done this mod and not armchair pundits spreading doom and gloom that don,t know oen end of a spanner form another.Makes no odds to me either way.Lower your van or keep it standard,it's up to you.I didn,t get into this to make money,just to help other connect owners out as the biggest question on this forum is" HOW DO I LOWER THE REAR OF A CONNECT"?.
As for insurance,make sure you notify them about your alloy wheesl,colour coded bumpers,mirrors,different seats because if you make it more attractive to thieves and don,t tell them,insurance VOID.